I have made the first recipe below. The texture turned out exactly as you have described. However, if I make it again, I will reduce the baking soda. One tablespoon made the candy taste extremely salty, unpleasantly so. I have seen the similar recipes which call for only 1 TEAspoon of baking soda, so I can only assume that would taste better but still give enough 'sponginess' to the finished candy.

The second recipe would have a more 'caramel-ly' flavor due to the use of dark syrup and molasses. To me, it would probably be tastier... But I'd still reduce the baking soda.

SPONGE CANDY
Makes about a pound of candy

1 cup sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. soda

Combine sugar, corn syrup and vinegar in a large very heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture reaches 300F, or until a bit of mixture becomes brittle in cold water.

Remove from heat and quickly stir in the soda. Mix well.

Pour into a buttered pan 9x9x2 inch. Candy will spread itself. Cool and break into bits for easy eating.

OLD FASHIONED SPONGE CANDY

1 cup sugar
1 cup dark Karo syrup
1/2 tsp. molasses
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. soda, sifted (suggested to
sift thru a tea strainer)

Cook the first four ingredients to hard crack stage (300F), stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.

Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon sifted soda. Stir well enough to mix in soda, but being careful not to break down volume as the mixture foams up. Again being careful not to break down the bubbles, pour into 8x10-inch slightly greased metal pan. Do not spread, just move the pan around so it gets disturbed. It will settle some.

When cooled, this will be a hard, honeycomb candy. After cooled, tip upside down on bread board and cut straight down with tip of sharp knife into irregular shapes.

For chocolate-covered candy:
Over warm, not boiling, water, melt 12 ounces real chocolate chips, 1 square bitter chocolate and 1/4 to 1/8 bar of food-grade paraffin. Dip each piece into chocolate until covered on all sides. Lay on waxed paper to let chocolate set.